


About Time

by XO_Dearling



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Human Pennywise (IT), Implied Miscarriage/Abortion, Multi, NSFW, Other, Rape/Non-con - Freeform, Richie Tozier Grows Up To Be Hot As Hell, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Smut, i need jesus, pretty damn dark, this gets dark
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2018-09-12
Packaged: 2019-06-27 10:45:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15683859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XO_Dearling/pseuds/XO_Dearling
Summary: You're just trying to build your life in California, but you had to go and fall for your co-worker, Rich Tozier. When his dark childhood comes back to throw a wrench into everything that lies before you, your love is put to the ultimate test.(This takes place when Richie is grown, around the latter half of the story. It follows the timeline of the new films but everything else is based on the book rather than the films.)





	1. I Love You

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: Not much for this first chapter except for language and a shitty boyfriend. Hope you like it!

You loved your co-worker, Rich Tozier. You had loved him the entire time you had known him, the whole five years, and you couldn't get enough of him. In fact, you had even let it slip that you loved him one time at an office New Year's party, careless and uninhibited after just one champagne too many.

You had all just finished counting down to the new year and everyone was cheering as you took in the fireworks. You were marveling at the beauty of it all, high on celebration. You broke away from Anna, your second favorite co-worker whom you had just been embracing. You had turned to try and find Rich but you didn't have to wander very far because he was only about three feet behind you. You looked up into that face you loved, into those twinkling dark eyes, and all you felt was bliss. It radiated from your pores and moved you to him. You gazed up at him with the pure adoration that you felt.

"I love you, Rich," you had said, reaching up to place a hand on his soft cheek.

You stopped just short of leaning in to brush his full lips with yours, though God knew you had wanted to. You were not that brave and it would have taken a few more glasses of champagne to make you so. He had smiled at you and it was so beautiful, you wanted to weep. The emotion made you lean forward in spite of yourself, wrapping him in an embrace. You felt his long arms around you, giving the briefest of squeezes before he rubbed your back for just a moment and placed a quick, innocent, blink-and-you'd-miss-it peck of a kiss on the top of your head, the type one might give to a kid sister or, perhaps, a niece.

"You too, dollface."

He had ended the embrace as quickly as you had initiated it. "Let's get you inside before you fall over the balcony."

"I'm not gonna fall, Richie," you replied with comical indignation.

He had given an amused chuckle. "Richie. No one's called me that in a while."

"Well, now I'm going to and you're just going to deal with it." In your slightly inebriated state of mind, if he wanted to treat you like a child, then you were going to show him a child.

He sat you in a chair. "Call me whatever you want, doll. I'm going to get you some coffee."

If it had been anybody other than Richie saying that, it would have come across as creepy or sleazy but you knew he didn't see you like that. How could he? He was thirty-eight, ten years your senior, and gorgeous with big, brown doe eyes, and unruly mass of dark curls, and the plumpest, most cherubic lips you had ever seen on a man his age, all of which made him look around a decade younger. He was built tall and slim and he moved with the unassuming insouciance of somebody who neither knew nor cared just how damned desirable they truly were.

You were far from the only woman who had taken notice. He wasn't necessarily a fuckboy. No matter how the list grew or how impressive the woman of the moment may have been, he would insist that he was really nothing more than a funny guy who got lucky.

You, however, knew better and so did countless others. He was uproariously hilarious and wildly successful because of it. Some said that he was the most successful radio personality in the country, with not only Los Angeles in the palm of his hand but people all over the country who listened to him in syndication and couldn't get enough. It never went to his head, however, and that was possibly the thing about him that was the most attractive of all. In spite of the constant praise and adoring laughter of everyday folks, megastars, and everybody in between, all of those women, and more money than he really needed, he still sometimes half-jokingly insisted in private conversation that the only remarkable thing about him was how obnoxious he was.

"I was probably the biggest loser in town growing up," he had laughed once.

 _Maybe so_ , you had thought, _but you're all grown up now, and you're perfect_.

Okay, maybe not perfect; nobody was perfect. You had to admit that you really didn't care for the fact that Richie smoked, even if he did look sexy doing it. You were guilty of daydreaming countless times of what it would be like to put your lips to his and softly yet deeply inhale the white smoke out of his mouth and down into your lungs.

You also loved that he would wear cologne to hide the smell of the cigarettes, good cologne at that. Scent was a big thing to you and you wished more men would make an effort to smell nice. The best you could hope for from most guys was absentmindedly spraying themselves down with Axe or something like it, which was about as bad as nothing at all. But not Richie. The intoxicating scent that always hung around him was just one more reason you adored being in his presence and that his women couldn't get enough of him, shameless and unabashed in their PDA toward him whenever you happened to see one of the lucky ones at the station. Still, you wished that the reason he was so diligently scented wasn't to cover the fact that the man enjoyed his cigarettes. It was something you frequently mentioned to him.

"I wish you wouldn't do that, Richie. It's not healthy."

He dismissed your concerns with a smile. "Who wants to live forever, doll?"

You were undeterred. "This world would be a shit pit without you in it, Rich Tozier."

"It's already a shit pit with me in it."

"I want you around," you insisted.

He would give a comical shrug any time you said that. "Here I am!" or "I'm right here!" were always his responses. You had come to accept that the conversation would never end any differently, no matter how badly you wished that it would. It would never stop you from voicing your concerns, regardless. You had to admit, however, that if having a smoke sometimes was the worst thing about a man, you didn't really have much to complain about. Well, you wouldn't if it were like that between you and Richie.

He liked you, sure. The two of you were pretty good friends, even. You just didn't think he could ever see you the way you did him. You considered yourself a catch among your age group, doing about as well as the average millennial could in the nation's current climate, though you still had far to go before you could truly be satisfied with your life. You were caring, a hell of a hard worker, and you supposed you were smart enough. You thought you weren't bad looking, either. No supermodel or anything- you had seen Richie with women you certainly considered more attractive than yourself- but you also found yourself better looking than just as many of them, which gave you a secret satisfaction that made you feel a bit ashamed. In any case, you had certainly come a long way from the chubby, bullied loner you had been in younger years. You had long since shed most of the baby fat, grown into yourself, and had a decent set of tits, if you did say so yourself. You may not have been a shining example of the superficial LA standards of beauty and you may have still carried just a bit of softness around your hips, thighs, ass and lower belly but you knew how to make the most of what you had and you looked good enough to the average joe.

You certainly weren't loquacious like Richie, however. You may have been enough for yourself and in the eyes of most men, but there was just a certain something Richie had that you simply did not. Most people didn't have it, either. That still didn't make it any easier than you just had to go and catch feelings for a gorgeous, hilarious, warm, witty, interesting, intelligent and very successful older man of which you didn't think anybody in the world, yourself certainly included, could be truly worthy.

Not that it would be the wisest idea to take up with a co-worker, anyway. You had gotten the briefest of glimpses once three years ago of what it would be like to be with Richie. You knew just from the vague portrait you were able to piece together that getting together with Richie, no matter how greatly you desired it, would be a quick and easy way to destroy your smooth, happy work life; that man was far too addictive.

You had been on a weekend lunch date with Chad, a guy you had been casually seeing over the course of a few months. He had been dropping hints about wanting to make it exclusive and official. You weren't seeing anybody else and it had been longer than you had carried on with anybody in the last few years. You definitely understood why he or anybody else would think it was coming up on time to just put a label to it already; you just didn't feel the things in your heart for him that one should to take such a step.

The two of you had been out to lunch when who should you run into but Rich Tozier- with a woman, of course.

"Rich, hi!" you exclaimed. He gave you a smile, which made you weak, as it always did.

"Hey there, toots!" he greeted in one of his silly voices, which caused you to laugh so hard that you snorted just a little. "Wanna make this a double?" he asked.

"Yes!" you quickly answered before Chad could say anything. You were so relieved at the prospect of postponing the conversation that would inevitably have to happen soon enough between the two of you. You knew Chad wouldn't bring it up in front of two strangers.

So, it was a table for four as introductions were made. Richie mentioned to Chad that he had heard about him from you a time or two, which had caused Chad to furrow a brow. "A time or two?" he asked. "It's been five months now, (Y/N)."

"Excuse me for not bringing my personal life to work, Chad," you replied, not amused.

"You know how it is," Richie interjected in an attempt to lighten things. "She just can't get a word in edgewise working around old Trashmouth Tozier."

"I know, she's definitely mentioned you more than just ' _a time or two_ ,'" Chad said, fixing you with a pointed glare.

"You would too if you worked with such a goofball!" you retorted. "Right, Richie?"

"That's right!"

You looked at Laura, Richie's date, a moderately attractive woman close to his age, perhaps a couple of years older. "You really ought to just spare yourself and run while you still can, Laura," you told her with mock sympathy.

"Don't be silly, it's only our second date!" she replied.

"Exactly," you deadpanned, causing Richie to burst into laughter.

The afternoon went on, flying by to you. You were shocked, however, when Laura announced that it was nearly four thirty and she really ought to be going."

"Four thirty already? Shit!" you said.

"Yeah," she replied, fixing you with an odd look. " _Shit_ ," she repeated after you in a tone faintly laced with sarcasm that you weren't entirely sure was mocking or not. "I think we'd better get going, Rich."

"Sure thing. Chad, it was nice to meet you. (Y/N), I'll see you Monday."

"It was nice to meet you, Chad," Laura said, echoing Richie.

"Likewise, Laura," Chad replied to her.

"It was nice to meet you, Laura," you spoke up in a friendly tone. "See you Monday, Richie."

"Come on, _Richie_ ," Laura said, and edge creeping into her voice as she repeated the name you had called your friend. "Let's go."

"Yes ma'am, your wish is my command. You kids enjoy your evening," he said, picking up he and Laura's check from the table as they walked away.

"I think we'd better go, too," Chad said after Richie and Laura had left.

"Can we have this split?" Chad asked the cashier.

"What is with you?" you asked as the cashier went about reconfiguring the check. "I don't mind paying my own way. I'd have paid yours, too. Why are you acting this way?"

"I thought it would be best to split the check. We don't want to give Richie any wrong ideas about his girl."

"What in the hell are you talking about, Chad?" you asked in a heated whisper.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," he said, handing the cashier his card before turning to you. "Your card, Mrs. Tozier?"

You fished it out of your wallet and slapped in onto the counter. "You are being a complete dick," you told him. "There is absolutely nothing between me and Richie."

"Yeah, nothing but a bunch of unresolved attraction."

"Are you high? He came with a date!"

"And ended up with a different one!"

You were seething as you both signed your receipts. You wrote in a nice tip, thanked the cashier, and walked out, ready to tear into Chad. "Listen, Chad, I don't know what crawled up your ass-"

"You're just mad that you got caught."

"Caught doing what? Having lunch with the guy I've been seeing and a co-worker I ran into- who had a date of his own!" you reiterated.

"The guy you were seeing. It's pretty clear to me that this is never going to go anywhere. Now I understand why."

"You're right that it isn't going anywhere because you're a fucking asshole!"

"Well, don't you worry, _toots_ ," Chad said in a piss poor imitation of the silly voice Richie had used earlier. "After tonight, you're never going to see this asshole again."

"Our friends are getting married in a week, in case you've forgotten. I can't wait to be finished with you but I'll be goddamned if we're going to make things weird on the most important day of Tyler and Amy's life together!"

"Okay, I guess you will see me again- but this time I'll have a real woman with me instead of some skanky pity date who was too fat to be a bridesmaid."

"Fuck you, Chad. You're the one who would never shut up about wanting to take ' _the next step_ ,'" you said in a mocking tone.

"I thought for sure that somebody as pathetic as you who would never do any better than me would treat me like a fucking god. I guess I was wrong."

"Yeah, you were. I can do so much better than you. I have and I will again."

"Oh yeah? Well, good luck with Richie. I'm sure he'll see you for the sad cunt that you are soon enough, if he hasn't already. Easy sex is the only thing a guy like him will ever want you for."

"Fuck off, Chad."

"I am. Call your precious Richie and let him take you home," he said before walking off, leaving you stuck at the restaurant.

Infuriated and incredulous, you decided to do precisely that. You hit Richie's contact in your phone and hoped he would answer. Thankfully, he did. "Richie. Are you still with Laura?"

"No, we took separate cars. Why, what's going on?"

"Chad left me at the restaurant after throwing a big bitch fit and calling me every name in the book. Can I trouble you for a ride?"

"What? Yeah. Yeah, of course." Richie sounded nonplussed, which was definitely out of character for him. "So....what exactly happened?"

"I'll tell you when you're here. I'm too furious to rehash it in public."

"Are you okay?"

"I will be. I'm glad to be done with that cheesedick."

Richie chuckled at your insult. "For what it's worth, I never liked the guy."

"You only met him once."

"Yeah, but... _Chad_? Jesus Christ, you should have known better from the name alone."

"Well, I was never exactly in it for the big happily ever after with him."

"Thank fuck for that. Could you imagine? Mrs. Chad? God, just saying it sounds pitiful. Anyway, I'm here, doll, come on out to the parking lot."

"Already? That was quick."

"I'd barely pulled out when you called. You and Chad weren't the only ones who got into a little quarrel."

"Oh, no...I'm sorry, Rich..."

"Don't be. It was only two dates. I'm sure as hell not interested in a third after today."

You hung up the phone and took a seat in Richie's passenger side. "Well, for what it's worth, I think she seemed like a bit of a cunt," you said matter-of-factly.

Richie couldn't hold back a laugh. "Listen to you. And they call me Trashmouth."

"It's been a long time since I've been this pissed off at a man. If you could even call that half dick a man."

You looked at the cigarette Richie held in his left hand. His eyes followed yours. "Want me to put it out?"

"Give me that," you said, grabbing it and taking a drag.

Richie looked almost scared. "Now I've seen it all...what happened?"

You decided to omit the part where Chad expressed his feelings about you and Richie. "He got sick of waiting for me to give in to his pushing about taking things to a place I wasn't comfortable with. So, he called me fat, a skank, a slut, pathetic, and a sad cunt. He said I was just a pity date, that I would never do better than him, and that easy sex is the only reason anyone will ever want me."

Richie was just as incredulous as you had been. "That...that motherfucker. That absolute piece of shit. I'm gonna....do you want me to kill the guy?"

"He's not worth the jail time."

"Want me to stop at his house? I won a rock war or two in my day."

"If I see him, all I'll do is ralph all over this nice car."

"That wouldn't be the worst thing that's happened in here."

An idea came to you suddenly. You could practically see the cartoon light bulb illuminating. "Actually...there is one thing you can do...if you could...if you wanted..."

"Lay it on me, baby cakes."

"There's this stupid wedding in a week. It's the people that set me and Chad up. They're expecting he and I to be there but they've been planning it since long before we ever went out. Chad has already told me that I can expect to see him there with a 'real woman-'"

"A paid escort," Richie interrupted.

"Nice," you said with a grin before finishing your request. "If you felt like it...maybe you could be my plus one?"

"Oh my God, are you asking me to prom?!" Richie exclaimed, mimicking a teenage valley girl.

"I'm serious! Seeing me with you would burn Chad to ashes. You wanna help me get even with him?"

"Sure, but what do you want to go with an old idiot like me for? This big music industry thing does have its perks. I could probably pull some strings or call in a favor and rig something up with God only knows who. You know, Harry Styles was really giving you the eye when he stopped by-"

"He was not, he's just a nice guy! Besides, I don't want to go with God only knows who. I want to go with someone I not only know, but also know that I'll have the time of my life with. Besides, Richie, you're only thirty-five. You also happen to be tall and handsome with the most gorgeous head of hair I've ever seen in my life and not look a day over twenty-eight at the most."

"Okay, okay, I'll go. No need to keep buttering me up with bullshit."

"It's not bullshit, Richie. You wouldn't get all those women if it were. I bet you'll walk away with a handful of numbers."

"Then what the hell am I going with you for?" he joked.

"Oh, fuck off. You can get all the numbers you want as long as you put on a good show for Chad."

"There will be no numbers. I'm all yours for the night, doll."

You grinned as Richie pulled up to your place. "Lucky me. Bring your A game, Tozier."

"Be careful what you wish for, sweet cheeks, you don't want a runaway bride on your hands."

"There he is. That's the spirit.," you said, emboldened by the situation at hand. "See you at work, hot stuff."


	2. The Wedding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second chapter!  
> Warnings: No smut yet, but there is sexual tension, a few crude remarks, and a couple of scenes that are a bit risqué and made me blush a bit. Also, feels.  
> Hope you like!

You had picked out a dress for the wedding a month ago. Although it was nice enough, you decided that it just wouldn't do. One doesn't just wear a dress for a date with Chad on a date with Rich fucking Tozier. Oh, no. You couldn't just bring your A game; you had to throw out the rules and rewrite the game entirely.

The strapless wine red gown you had picked out was certainly classy and sophisticated but it had a sexy, scandalous edge that was undeniable. You weren't about to starve yourself just because some butthurt bitchboy had called you fat when you wouldn't do what he wanted, but you made it a point to drink plenty of water and work out every day leading up to the wedding.

You scheduled a hair appointment for the morning of. You hadn't planned to bother with as much for Chad but you knew you didn't have the skill to create something of the caliber you wanted on your own. "Make me the hottest bitch there," you told the hairdresser.

You did your makeup far more elaborately than you typically did, but there could be no stone left unturned. Not when you had to keep an old flame in his place and make him eat his heart out; certainly not when you were showing up on the arm of the one and only Rich Tozier. You made sure to use the most bold, provocative perfume you had and you did not use a light hand; there was no place for subtlety this evening.

The doorbell rang. You surveyed yourself in the mirror one last time, struck a pose and answered the door. There stood a dashing, impeccably dressed Rich Tozier...

...and there on the ground in front of him lay his jaw.

You twirled around for him. "What say you, Mr. Tozier?"

"Wow," he breathlessly gasped before rediscovering his voice. "What did I to to be lucky enough to score a front row seat to this smokeshow?"

On another day, you would have blushed. "You don't look so bad yourself, Richie." "(Y/N), I can promise you that nobody there will be looking at me," he said, unable to keep his eyes from wandering all over you. "I will. Damn, Richie. You're making me wish we didn't work together."

"Then I'll wear sweats to work Monday. Then you'll remember who you're working with."

"And you'll still be Rich Motherfucking Tozier. I knew what I was doing when I invited you to this wedding."

"You obviously didn't know me in Derry, Maine throughout the 80s and most of the 90s."

"Yeah, well I wasn't always the smokeshow you see in front of you, either. Hell, I'm not even this smokeshow ninety percent of the time these days."

"(Y/N), hot stuff, I'm going to be choking on all that smoke for weeks to come, if not months."

"Then I'll wear sweats to work Monday myself."

"Go ahead. The damage has already been done. Don't you know that secondhand smoke kills?"

"I see my lectures have finally gotten through. You ready? As much as I'd love to stay here and keep enjoying the view, we've got a wedding to attend."

"I hope you're not too attached to the bride because I don't think she'll be wanting to stay friends with somebody who shows up to her wedding looking that good. That is, if she doesn't decide to run off with you."

You took Richie's arm. "Let her try. There's not a man or woman alive or dead that could stack up to my date," you said as you walked to his car. You could have sworn that you saw Richie blush just a little bit before he looked away.

You wound each other up the entire drive to the wedding, neither of you letting the other lose sight of your mission or of just how goddamned stunning the other looked. By the time you arrived, the two of you were ready to take on the world, already fully absorbed in your plan and enjoying every split second of it.

_(Y/N) (Y/L/N_ ), you wrote in the guest book before handing the pen to Richie. He signed the book and set the pen down with a satisfied smirk.

You guffawed when you saw what he had done, adding onto your entry so that it now read _(Y/N) (Y/L/N) and the luckiest son of bitch in the place_ , in two differing scripts. "I could kiss you for that," you whispered, never more thankful in your life that Rich Tozier could be utterly shameless at times.

"Hope you wore smudge proof lipstick," he whispered back, giving a shit eating grin to all passersby. Yes, all eyes were definitely on the two of you. Chad's would be too if he indeed possessed the balls to show up; if he did he sure wouldn't have the balls to say jack shit to either of you.

Not surprisingly, the professional photographer that had been hired for the event stopped the two of you for a photo. "Enjoy the view from behind, it's just as sweet!" Richie exclaimed to the photographer as you walked on, causing you to blush and cackle.

"You're amazing, Richie," was all you could say.

You took your seats and waited for the ceremony to begin. "You see him?" Richie asked.

"No, and I don't care to look. I've only got eyes for you tonight."

"That's true. We do have a show to put on," he said, giving you a look that you were sure had caused you to soak your seat. In fact, you even said as much.

"Don't make me soak my seat, Tozier."

Richie didn't say anything, just gave you a smoldering smirk, knowing damned well what he was doing. He may have come a long way from the scrawny, bespectacled trashmouth with the target on his back but he would always have a bit of the little shit left in him deep down.

You decided to give him a taste of his own medicine and leaned in, gently grazing his lips with yours. God, they were fucking soft. They felt every bit as great as you always imagined they would. You kissed him again, gently taking his bottom lip between your teeth before releasing it and pulling back.

"My God..." Richie marveled, as if meeting you for the first time. "Who are you? I always knew you were something, doll, but Jesus Christ..."

"Why, Mr. Tozier, I'm yours, don't you know?" you answered with feigned innocence.

Richie smirked and gave your leg a squeeze. "Let's take it down a notch, I don't want us to get kicked out before it's even started," he whispered before placing a quick kiss on your neck and turning to face forward.

You took his hand and the two of you made small talk about your surroundings. You sat through the wedding, unable to really focus on anything that was happening. All you could think about was the man beside you that you craved more than anything and the tension building between your legs. You clapped with everyone else when it was done, though, truthfully, you only knew to do so by watching Richie.

The wedding may have finished, but the fun was only beginning for you and Richie. Everyone knew that the reception was where the good shit really went down and it was there that the two of you would have to give your strongest performance. Thankfully, you were both warmed up.

You watched as the bride and groom made their way to the floor for their first dance and you couldn't help but feel a tug at your heartstrings. You'd never seen laid back, sweet-faced Tyler look so dashing and sophisticated and Amy, ethereal in her white gown with her flaxen hair gleaming in the light, looked like the angel on top of the Christmas tree.

"Doesn't she look beautiful?" you asked.

"Yeah, she does," Richie agreed and you had to give him credit for not adding on a crude remark like he typically would have done. The opening notes of Ed Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud filled the room and the couple began their dance. Richie groaned in annoyance.

"Really? This song? Why did I let you drag me to a millennial wedding?"

"So basic," you concurred, although you felt your eyes misting regardless. "I wouldn't have picked it...but it's a pretty song. Well, it was the first two hundred times or so."

Richie saw you lovingly admiring the couple, lost in the moment and he smiled at the chip in in your tough, sassy exterior. He couldn't help but wrap his arms around you from behind and rest his chin on the top of your head as he watched them with you. "Yeah, it is," he admitted.

Throughout the evening, Richie played the doting date to the hilt. At your table, you made a show of feeding one another bites of cake by hand, dragging it out as long as possible, neither of you admitting aloud that it was just as much for your own benefit as it was for that of onlookers. A downright devilish grin broke across Richie's face as he finished languidly sucking a dollop of frosting from the finger you had between his pillowy lips, in his soft mouth as you simultaneously did the same thing, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of his finger wrapped in the velvet expanse of your tongue, reluctant to let it go. He released your finger from his mouth and kissed your fingertips before speaking. "I see him." His dark eyes were alight with mischief.

"Oh yeah? Does he see us?"

"I don't see how he couldn't have clocked such a babe, especially as she sucked the frosting right off my fingers."

"You know, we haven't quite finished if you want to keep it up because I'm enjoying the hell out of this."

"Tempting, but I've got something else in mind."

"Is he alone? Did he bring a ' _real woman_?'" you asked with amused derision.

"If by 'real woman' you mean what is quite clearly, as I called it, a paid escort and what appears to be a discounted one at that, then yes."

You rolled your eyes, heavily make up for the occasion. "Okay, what are we going to do?"

"I'll tell you what we're going to do, you're going to get your sexy ass out of that chair and we're going to get out on that floor and give everyone an eyeful."

For the first time since you'd been there, you faltered. "Richie, I don't know..."

"What, you aren't backing out on me now, are you? What happened to my hot piece of ass?"

"I won't look like such a hot piece of ass on the floor, Richie, I can't dance!"

"Sure you can. Anyone can."

"Can and should are two very different things!"

"You can. You will." He stood up and extended his hand down to you. "May I have this dance, beautiful?"

If there was one thing you couldn't do, even more than you couldn't dance, it was deny Rich Tozier.

"Of course, handsome. But you're leading."

"Absolutely. Gotta take care of my girl," he said as he led you out onto the floor.

You sure as hell couldn't dance and, truthfully, you didn't know if Richie was really all that much better, but he had more than enough confidence for the both of you. You followed his lead, never breaking eye contact.

"See, (Y/N)? You're doing it."

You had no idea what was going on around you. Everyone else could be dead for all you knew. All you knew was that there was music (you didn't even know what song) and motion and that you were being held and twirled by your love and, goddamn it, he sure was the most charming man you had ever seen, you sure wanted to kiss him, and you wished more than anything that this was for real and not just for tonight.

The song ended. "See? That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Richie, I-"

You were cut off by the announcement that it was time for the bouquet toss. Richie's face lit up with mischief and he pushed you into the crowd of rabid single women who were desperate and ready to knock some lights out for some meaningless bundle of flowers that didn't truly foretell a thing. "Go on! Get it, (Y/N)!" he exclaimed in mock enthusiasm.

_You want it, Tozier_? you thought. _Then you've got it_. You couldn't have cared less for the tradition, but didn't you have an act to uphold?

Amy tossed the bouquet and you leapt for it, damned if you were going to let Chad's third rate hooker come out with it or anyone else, for that matter, since Richie had wanted to be cute and shove you into that sea of lunacy. No, that bouquet was your target. You leapt like a gazelle, swerved, and took ahold, yanking it out of the path to another woman's hands.

Everyone cheered and a few women shot death glares as you held up the bouquet, smiling smugly as you made your way back to a smarmy, smirking Richie who was clapping exaggeratedly. You tossed the bouquet at him. "As requested, your bouquet?" you said before grabbing his hand, holding it up in the air and shouting, "Here he is, boys, come get him!"

Once the laughter died down, you mirrored the smug expression Richie had just been giving you.

"Laugh it up now, sweet cheeks, but you're about to be really sorry," he warned.

"Oh, yeah? What are you going to do?"

"Wait for it..."

An amplified voice filled the room. "All right, all you eligible bachelors, line up!"

"That's me," Richie said, handing the bouquet back to you and giving you a wink before joining the crowd of men who were gathered as Tyler removed Amy's garter.

_That doesn't mean anything_ , you thought. _There's plenty of men. Richie probably won't even get it_.

Richie, however, had a height advantage over the other guys in the crowd, men just didn't care about things like this the way women did and you came to the sudden realization that you and Richie's plan had worked a little too well. The two of you had already established yourselves as the it couple of the evening, second only to Tyler and Amy themselves. Everyone had taken notice of the two of you and you could have sworn that you saw Tyler, that cheeky son of a bitch, deliberately toss that damned garter directly to Richie- who caught it, of course, much to the delight of the entire building.

Richie made his way back to you, victory all over that gorgeous, immaculately sculpted face of his. "Are you gonna sit down and make this easy for me?" he asked, teasingly.

You weren't about to give him the satisfaction of besting you. You sat down without protest, eyes smoldering, unable to contain your smirk as you lifted your dress to expose your legs, commanding Richie to the ground with a nod of your head.

The crowed ooohed and Richie made a show of dropping to his knees and crawling the brief distance to your feet, the garter clenched between his teeth. He reached up to gently take your ankle into his hands and slide the garter over it, taking his sweet time gliding it all the way up to your thigh, never once letting the garter slip from between his teeth.

"I gotta get a shot of this," came a voice near you, obviously the photographer. Richie looked at the camera, still on his knees, garter at your thigh still held between his teeth, and gave a very satisfied thumbs up to the camera as the photo was snapped. Only when the moment had been immortalized did Richie, at last, release the garter from his teeth. You let your dress fall back down over your legs.

"You bastard. You fucking bastard," you said breathlessly, smiling in spite of yourself.

"Hey, is that any way to talk to your future husband? We're next, dollface."

"Well played, Tozier," you commended, clapping slowly.

"What do you say we give the people a little victory dance?"

"Thought you'd never ask."

And so it went, dance after dance the two of you shared, long since losing track. Song after song, fast and slow until, at last, you looked up at him, towering over you, all lips and cheekbones, hair unkempt and sexy after an evening of activity. Dark, beautiful eyes were looking right back at you, soft, round and bearing into you. Eyes that had never looked into yours so long without saying something or, perhaps, had never looked into yours so long, at all. Richie was usually so good at talking, usually knew exactly what to say, so unlike you. _Come on, Richie...say something..._ But nothing came out of him or you. All you could see was him, all you could think about was that moment, and all you could feel was everything you had ever felt for Richie, all at once and amplified, running through your blood, through every atom of you.

So, you kissed him.

Not for the sake of putting on a show, not for the benefit of any onlooker, but for you. Just your lips on his. No thought, just feelings, kissing him until you thought, at last, that you might die if you didn't stop for air because God knew you had forgotten to breathe.

You pulled away. Richie blinked, absentmindedly running his tongue over his lips. "Damn," he muttered offhandedly before returning to his senses. "Was Chad watching or something?"

You didn't know what to say. Truthfully, you had no idea if Chad had been watching or not, nor did you care. You had long since lost sight of your initial reason for bringing Richie to the wedding in the first place. You couldn't ruin things forever between you and Richie, but you couldn't lie to him, either.

"I don't know," you answered. "It just felt right."

"Felt right?" Richie didn't sound upset; just confused.

You couldn't just stand there not knowing whether or not you had just made the biggest mistake with Richie that you possibly could have. "Yeah, you know how it is," you cheerfully dismissed. "Doesn't it just feel right sometimes? Don't overthink it." The irony was not lost on you; you knew you would do precisely that. "Anyway, I'm sorry about that, Richie. I didn't mean to upset you. I'm gonna go to the bathroom. Do you want me to get you anything on the way back?"

"A drink."

"Anything in particular?"

"Surprise me."

"Ice?"

"Tons."

"Gotcha. Be back in a few." You headed toward the ladies' room as quickly as your dress would allow which, for the sake of appearances, was not very quickly, thankfully.

You locked yourself in a stall. "Fuck,"you whispered, dropping to a seat on the closed toilet. No matter how you fought them, tears sprang to the surface. You were glad that you had worn waterproof mascara. You allowed yourself a few moments of panic and despair before forcing yourself to dry up and get out. You touched up your makeup in the mirror until you were satisfied.

"You better get back out there to that man of yours," a woman said in passing, "or somebody else will be glad to take your place."

You laughed dryly. "Don't I know it?" you muttered to the empty bathroom.

You stopped to get Richie his drink, putting about as much thought into making it as he had into requesting it. You were sure to fill the cup with enough ice that it didn't really matter what else was in it, anyway. You scanned the room for Richie, perplexed that he was nowhere to be seen. _Fuck_ , you thought. _I've gone and run him off_.

Just when you were about to dig your phone out of your purse, you felt a hand gently touch your arm from behind. You turned to face Richie, all smiles, back to his old self. You smiled and handed the drink to him. He set it on the nearest table.

"No time for drinks now, my love. While you were away, the DJ announced that after a brief intermission, the last song of the night was coming up."

"Thank fuck. That guy sucked. If it were my wedding, I'd pay him to stop. He's no Rich Tozier, that's for damn sure."

"Cut him some slack. I don't think Rich Tozier could have done any better, seeing a fox like you out on the floor."

"Nonsense. Rich Tozier is the king. He's been carrying both of us on the floor all night."

Richie smiled and offered you his hand. "I see the guy coming back. You ready to show them how it's done one last time?"

You took his hand. "Been ready all my life."

You made your way to the floor as the music began. It was a slow song, thank goodness, and you were ready to savor every second of the dance. It wasn't lost on you that it was the end of the night, the final encore, and you and Richie would soon take your last bow. It wasn't a show for you, though. It never was, and it had never been more plain to you than it was at that moment.

You looked into Richie's eyes. They were sparkling as he smiled at you. You smiled back and laid your head on his shoulder, playfully nuzzling his neck before settling. You felt a soft, whispering laugh in his chest before you felt his lips place a chaste kiss on the top of your head and then your hand that he held as you danced. He held his head down, his face resting gently in your hair.

In that moment, you could have sworn that he was enjoying this every bit as much as you. Deep down, however, you knew better. If he was loving this with you, it was no different than the way he had loved so many others for a moment or two before going back to his same old single life.

_I love you_ , you thought. You mouthed the words against his shoulder, only because you knew he couldn't see. Was this how people felt on the way to their executions? Desperately clinging to every fleeting second of precious time as the end grew ever more imminent? You thought that it may very well have been; to some greater extent, of course, but still in the same vein.

You felt Richie's hand on your back, rubbing softly as your hand slowly traveled up to rest securely in his dark curls. Inevitably, no matter how fervently you wished that you could have frozen time, the song reached its end. Your heart began its slow break. Richie smiled down at you and kissed your forehead before wrapping an arm around you as you began the agonizing walk back to the car.

"What a night," you marveled aloud once you were both in the car.

"I'm sure Chad is eating his heart out and choking on it," Richie assured you.

You blinked, giving Richie a mischievous sideways smile. "Chad who?" You were playing coy but the truth was that you had hardly given him a passing thought the entire night.

"You pulled it off without a hitch, (Y/N)."

"Easiest thing I've done in my life- thanks to my fantastic partner, of course."

You raved about one another the whole way back, rehashing the evening, not wanting to let it go just yet. Unfortunately, you had to.

"Well, Mr. Tozier, it's been grand but I'm afraid this is my stop."

"Let me walk you to the door." That was just Rich; ever the gentleman.

He walked over to your door, held his hand out, and smiled once you stood before him. You took his arm and made your way to the door, thankful for once in your life for how much of a pain in the ass it could be to get to your apartment.

At last, you were at the door. The clock was ticking, the spell was breaking, and in spite of your dress, your professionally styled hair, and all of the makeup, you were starting to feel increasingly like your true self. "Thanks for doing this, Richie. It really means the world."

He smiled softly. "Nothing I would have rather done, dollface." You smiled up at him before yawning in spite of yourself. He laughed. "Go get some sleep, (Y/N)."

"You too, Richie."

He leaned in and placed a soft kiss onto your cheek. "I'll see you at work, baby." You thought he sounded as if he were talking to a child.

"Drive safe, Rich. And thanks again," you said before letting yourself in, not looking back for fear that Richie would see your heart all over your face.

The clock had run out, the coach had turned back into a pumpkin, Rich Tozier was just your older, wittier, more charismatic and successful friend and co-worker, and you? You were just you again, in your pajamas, sensational red dress discarded in the corner. Face bare. Eyes round and innocent. Lips returned to their natural shade. _Bye bye, smokeshow_ , you thought.

You brushed your teeth, pulled your still styled hair into a messy bun at the back of your head, and climbed into bed. The sultry scent of your perfume still hung in the air. You knew it would be back to reality come Monday but, for now, you allowed yourself to drift to sleep on a cloud.


	3. Domestic Bliss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter three! This chapter is a bit on the filler-ish side and I'm sorry, but it was necessary in order to smoothly get to the next plot point because it all starts to go down in the next chapter! There are a couple of OC's strictly for the purposes of this chapter only. This is all you will see of them.  
> Warnings: Sexual tension! Smut! Also, there is a scene involving a sex toy that I find a bit comical and perhaps slightly gratuitous but not really since it does serve to further the plot between the reader and Richie. I hope you like this! <3

You had been right. Things were more or less back to normal after the wedding. 

You and Richie were a little closer and grew to interact more, even outside of work and/or work related functions at times, but it was strictly platonic. You had a feeling that, barring another reason for you or Richie to borrow one another for another performance of sorts, strictly platonic it would stay. Each of you went on the odd date here and there with somebody or another; sometimes second, third, or even sixth dates, but nothing ever stuck.

Nothing, that is, until Julia.

Julia was thirty-eight but, like Richie, could have easily passed for the better part of a decade younger. She was a smart ass but open and sociable with a killer smile. She had a trim figure, a Mediterranean complexion that radiated vitality, brown, vibrant sloe eyes, and thick, dark hair that looked shiny and soft to the touch no matter what length. She was gorgeous, sharp, and she took no shit. A blind man could have seen what Rich Tozier saw in her.

Richie had been with his share of women, some you had liked, some you hadn't, but none of them had ever lasted very long until Julia. Time went by, month after month until, finally, they had crossed the one year mark. You knew from talking to Richie over the years that once upon a time when he was a younger man, he had fallen hard and lived with a woman named Sandy for two and a half years but other than that, nothing had ever gotten that serious or even come close to it. Nothing, that is, until Julia.

Your feelings for Richie never changed but you genuinely liked Julia. She was never anything but nice whenever she interacted with you on visits to the station and not in the transparent, superficial way that some of Richie's women had been. She would always stick around to talk for a few minutes, seeming to enjoy it as much as you did. If you had to lose out, you couldn't have picked a better person to lose to than Julia.

You weren't the only one who thought that things were getting pretty serious. People around the station would make teasing remarks, asking if Richie was finally settling down, when the wedding was, and things of that nature. Richie took it all in stride, waving the comments off. "I've gone thirty-eight years without being married. Why the hell would I start now?"

You knew that Richie wasn't the type of man to agonize over making a relationship legal but you had to admit that things with Julia were not as they had been with others. It caused a dull, throbbing ache in your heart when you realized the probability that the only other wedding you and Richie would be at together would be the one where you watched the man you loved more than all the world marry a woman that was not and never would be you. 

You couldn't help but find a sort of twisted humor in the fact that you and Richie had been foretold to be the next to marry as per the old traditions at that wedding you had attended. Well, maybe they had gotten it half right. 

And so things carried on, basically the same as they had ever been, until some time in the spring. 

Your roommates, a couple with whom you shared a two bedroom apartment, had announced that they were expecting a baby. They weren't exactly rushing you out the door but your room would have to begin the transformation to the baby's room sooner rather than later. Apartment hunting was a daunting task anywhere but in LA, it was a nightmarish prospect that brought you no small amount of anxiety. 

Your situation came up over coffee on a standard Monday morning conversation with Richie. "I have a guest room. Stay there if you want," he offered.

"Richie, are you sure?"

"Sure I'm sure. You need a place to stay. I have a place to stay. I'm not going to let a friend couch surf or stay in some seedy motel when I have a perfectly good bedroom sitting around collecting dust and more space than one person really needs. Besides, I think you'd liven the place up a bit."

You smiled. "Richie, any house with you under its roof contains all the life it could ever ask for. But what about Julia?"

"What about her?"

"Would she be okay with it? Would I be a nuisance?"

"I don't see how you could be a nuisance to Julia; she doesn't live there."

"Okay, Richie. Thank you so much. I can't thank you enough, really. I'll try to get something lined up quickly so I can get out of your hair before too long."

"Stay as long as you like, doll."

Your heart fluttered in your throat. "You really are something else, Rich Tozier."

So, you moved in, trying to keep the things you brought in to a minimum so as not to be intrusive. Everything you didn't need to have on hand was put into storage or donated. 

You couldn't lie, you loved living in Richie's house. It was certainly a rather broad step above the shoebox apartment to which you had been accustomed. You would really hate when the day came that you had to step down from this living arrangement but, for now, you were enjoying every bit of it. 

Not only was the house a fine place to live but Richie was a wonderful person to live with. He wasn't there as much as you were. He would sometimes spend evenings or weekends with Julia or be fulfilling some work obligation. You saw him enough, however, and your nights with him watching movies or listening to albums from his breathtakingly impressive vinyl collection over takeout or something you had cooked brought you such joy. On the rare occasion that you had Richie for the entire weekend, you felt as if you had won the lottery. 

There had been one weekend where it had rained the entire way through, a rarity in LA. Neither of you had felt like doing a damned thing. So, you didn't leave the house. It was two whole days of nothing but togetherness. Talking, watching things, listening to music, him teaching you card games, endless cups of coffee and tea, cooking, living in your pajamas but talking all the while, breaking only to shower or sleep. You and Richie had somehow gotten to the subject of your first times that weekend and exchanged stories. You had learned, scandalized, that he had lost his virginity at a disconcertingly young age to a childhood friend of his, a redhead named Beverly, though he insisted that they were only ever just friends, neither of them really knew what they were doing, and he didn't even come close to doing anything with a girl again until college. You had both fallen asleep late Saturday night while watching an old movie from Richie's childhood, wrapped in blankets on the couch. You had awakened Sunday with your head on Richie's shoulder and his head resting against your head. That weekend had been your idea of heaven; never had an impending Monday seemed so cruel and loathsome.

Of course, it wasn't always just you and Richie. Julia came over sometimes. You tried to make yourself scarce when you did, for your own sake as much as for she and Richie's, but she ever seemed to take issue with your presence. Sometimes, you would cook for the three of you. She really didn't take issue with your presence then; she admittedly despised cooking and she always had wonderful things to say about your culinary abilities. 

You couldn't help but feel a great surge of pride. She may have the man you loved, but at least you bested her in that department. It became an obsession of yours, cooking every day. It was the only way you were allowed to love your man.

No, not your man; Julia's.

He may not have been yours, but this was the best living arrangement you'd ever had and you enjoyed the hell out of your own brand of domestic bliss. You had come to find that exercise was an excellent and beneficial way to distract from the sexual frustration that accompanied living in such close proximity to the man you desired more than anyone. Sometimes, however, you couldn't help but take matters into your own right hand. Other times, there was Cameron.

Cameron was nineteen, a lanky, laid back college student who lived a few houses down with his parents. You had met him while you were out on a night time jog. Like many college guys his age, Cameron loved music, weed, and sex. 

Unlike most guys his age (or any other age, for that matter), he loved eating pussy and he did it like he was starving. The fact that you were an older, hot working woman with ambitions could have fueled his desire to please; you weren't sure. He was in awe of you but he made it clear that you were not the only one with whom he carried on, which was fine by you. You made it clear that you weren't looking to take things any further than sex. 

He had also figured out pretty early on that you were in live with Richie, although you refused to discuss your feelings whenever he would try to tease you about them. You and Cameron got along well enough. The dynamic between the two of you was that of an older sister and younger brother- who just so happened to have scorching sexual chemistry and love fucking one another.

It was a Saturday afternoon and one of Richie's weekends with Julia, so you had invited Cameron over. You were both fully undressed and he was warming you up, sucking hungrily at your breasts as he fingered you. You felt yourself grow increasingly wet around his fingers; he may have been young, but that boy knew what he was doing. 

You moaned as your fingers tangled in his messy dark hair. He could damned near get you off just from sucking your tits alone, which was most uncommon. He had somehow managed to strike the perfect balance between gentle and intense. You were already so close when he stopped and rose to his feet.

"What the fuck?" you asked.

"I want to try something with you."

You watched curiously as he produced a small toy from the pocket of his jeans on the floor, accompanied by a tiny controller. He tossed the toy onto your lap. "You wear the toy. I control everything."

"Who just carries around sex toys?" you asked, intrigued.

"Your boyfriend Richie probably does if he's really the ladies man you say he is," Cameron teased.

"He is not my boyfriend and he has more class than that! Give the guy some credit."

"Give the guy a blowjob; as good as yours are, he won't be able to leave you alone."

"Enough about Richie. Do you want me to wear this or not?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Let me wash it first. God only knows who all you've used this on."

"Not as many as Richie."

You gave Cameron a stern look before pulling on your underwear and a thin T-shirt and leaving to wash the toy. You returned with the cleaned toy nestled discreetly inside your underwear. 

You rejoined Cameron on the bed and straddled his lap, pulling him into a kiss. You felt a sudden vibration on your clit and couldn't help but cry out in surprise. Cameron smirked. While you were off your guard, he lifted your shirt and resumed sucking at your breasts, leaving you eagerly anticipating when he would next press the button on the controller. 

At the exact moment that he pressed it again, you heard the door open.

"Shit!" you swore. "He's home!"

"Who? Your husband?" Cameron asked, unbothered, giving your nipple a sharp and sudden bite.

"Not funny, Cameron!" You scrambled to your feet, pulling your shirt back down. "I can't believe I brought a guy in, God, that's so disrespectful," you despaired.

"Why? You're not together..."

Just then, you heard Richie's voice. "(Y/N)?" he called. 

"Shit! My car's out there so he knows I'm in...he can't know you're here!"

A shit eating grin spread across Cameron's face. "I'll be quiet...if you go out there to him right now. With the toy."

"And if I take the toy out?"

"Then I'll go out there right now and tell Richie that you're madly in love with him and that you said his name when we were fucking."

"I never did that!"

"I know; but Richie doesn't know that."

You couldn't believe it. You, a woman who was approaching thirty years of age, were being held at a merciless disadvantage by some twerp who wasn't even twenty yet.

You heard Richie's voice again. "You here, dollface?"

Cameron snickered. "Go get him, dollface," he mocked.

"Shut the hell up," you hissed, glaring daggers as you pulled Cameron's boxers up over your underwear. "Don't think you'll come out without these," you teased. 

"If you think that will stop me, I'll walk my naked ass out there right now."

"Stay put," you commanded before exiting the room and closing the door behind you.

Richie was going through some movies when he saw you walk into the room looking like a fever dream. Hair tousled. Lips red and kiss-swollen. Skin dewy. Hardened nipples straining against the thin, nearly threadbare fabric of your old T-shirt. His pulse quickened and his brain clouded, muddling his ability to form sentences. "Oh, uh, hi...."

"Hey," you said, your tone heightened by nerves. You felt as if you were walking through a land mine. No, you thought. The land mine is in my fucking pants. Somehow, you managed to speak. "Whatcha doing?"

"Just trying to find a movie before, um...before Julia and I head back to her place."

"Oh, Julia's here?" you replied with a nervous laugh.

"In the car."

And that was when you finally felt it. Just a quick little pulse, but enough to make your breath hitch.

"You okay?" Richie asked. 

"Yeah, I'm fine," you said before you felt it again. Longer this time, more intense. Did that damned controller have settings?

After only second's rest, the most intense vibration yet rocked your clit, causing you to cry out as your body involuntarily lurched forward before attempting to straighten itself. 

"(Y/N), what's wrong?" Richie asked.

"Just...just cramps! Female stuff," you said, mentally cringing, but it was the first thing you could think of.

Realization came over Richie's face. "Oh. God, I'm sorry, doll, I bet that's no good."

Your face tensed as another intense vibration came over you, longer this time. "No, it's not," you groaned through gritted teeth. You had thought that surely the settings on the controller couldn't have gone any higher but you were, most mercilessly, proven wrong as you felt the toy rumbling against your clit, stronger than ever, without pause. You closed your eyes and whimpered, your body unsteady.

Richie came to your side, supporting your body with his arm around your waist. You melted at his touch, trembling, forcing yourself not to press yourself against him. "Do you need help getting back to bed?" His voice was filled with concern.

"No,' you gasped. "I was wanting to just curl up on the couch and watch TV, if that's okay."

"Yeah, of course it's okay, doll," Richie answered before switching to a cheerful British accent. "And away we go! To the couch for a little lie down, love!"

You let out a breathy laugh as you stumbled toward the couch, guided by Richie. You never thought you'd see the day where you would be, quite literally, on the verge of creaming your pants while some guy spoke to you in a silly voice. _God, I fell in love with a cheese ball_ , you thought as pure adoration suddenly flooded you, filling your stomach with butterflies and nudging you closer to the release that was coming as the pulsations from the toy grew closer together.

By the time the two of you reached the couch, you could hardly walk. Your entire body was jello at this point and you moved like a woman possessed and Richie, well, he was gangly and all limbs all of the time regardless. So, the two of you clumsily and most accidentally fell onto the couch. You felt Richie's arms behind your lower back, steadying you as you hitched forward, your head on his shoulder, lips gently touching his neck, breath quick and ragged as the warmth of him and the scent of his cologne brought you closer to the edge. _That goddamned cologne..._

Richie shivered at the feeling of your soft lips and gentle breath against his neck and felt his cock twitch in spite of himself. You lay back on the couch, Richie's arms still intertwined around you. The expression on his face was one of concern and something you couldn't quite read as he leaned forward over you. He brought a hand to rest against the side of your face. "Doll, are you okay?" he asked, moving closer to you. 

You looked up at his lips, so close to your own. Temptation coursed through you as the vibration from the toy didn't cease. You quickly, involuntarily wet your lips with your tongue. "Yeah..."

Your back arched, your breasts now mere centimeters from Richie's face with only the thinnest of fabric preventing him from pressing his lips to one and taking a nipple into his mouth. He bit his lip, trembling as his cock grew, thankful that your eyes were closed.

The vibrations against your clit were hard and incessant, varying in pulse as you grew ever closer, twitching and trembling beneath Richie, painfully aware of his touch and his close proximity. With a sharp intake and release of breath, you came, quivering, involuntarily coming up off the couch just a bit, your clothed nipple grazing Richie's lip for the briefest of moments.

You collapsed back onto the couch, praying that Cameron would ease up on the goddamned controller for just one moment. Richie forced himself to stand up from the couch, silently praying that you didn't notice his erection. "I gotta go," he said, breathlessly. "Feel better, doll," he added before picking up the movies he had come to get and leaving in an awkward rush. 

Once he was gone and you had caught your breath, you removed the toy and rose to your feet. Once you were in the bedroom, you threw the toy at a smirking, triumphant Cameron. "You motherfucker," you said.

"Hey, you just got off with the man you love thanks to me. _You're welcome_."

You hastily undressed and got on top of Cameron, straddling just below his lips. Your hands gripped his hair, bringing his mouth up to you as you rode out your frustration against his lips and tongue, making him pay gloriously for what he had just done.

Meanwhile, Julia was quite confused as to why Richie's mood was completely different when he came back out to the car, all hot, bothered and ready to pounce, unable to wait until they made it back to her house. Not that she was complaining.

It was in separate houses but almost the exact time time the following Sunday morning when Richie's girlfriend dropped a bomb on him and you got a shattering phone call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger! :p Love you guys! xo


	4. When it Rains, it Pours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my sweethearts! Thank you for being patient with me as I've been sick as hell lately and unable to get a chapter up sooner. This is a big one, though, so I do hope it makes up for it!  
> Warnings: Lots of smut, angst, and fluff. A whole lot of everything.   
> I love you guys! xx

You had always known it couldn't last forever.

Sure enough, Anna from work had called to let you know that she had broken up with her boyfriend, hurled all of his shit out of their other bedroom, and was in the market for a roommate. "Cool, Anna," you had told her. "Just let me talk to Richie first."

You were expecting him back later that evening. You went to the grocery store to purchase things to prepare the meal of your lifetime, really outdoing yourself. God knew you were going to miss cooking for the two of you (and that spacious kitchen), so tonight you were pulling out all the stops, cooking for him like you wanted to marry him. You did, of course, but that was neither here nor there. You had long since learned that it would serve you no good to dwell on that.

You spent the entire day preparing, even finding the time to throw on a cute little dress and some makeup. Nothing like you had been at the wedding, of course, but definitely a little something extra, that was for sure. Luck had smiled on you that evening that everything was ready by the time Richie had arrived home.

"(Y/N)?" he called as he closed the door. He walked toward the kitchen. "Fuck, that- that smells delicious, doll-" He stopped once he caught sight of you. "Wow. Look at you. Who's the lucky guy?"

"I'm looking at him."

"Me? What did I do?"

"Everything. Also, I have news," you sang with attempted cheer, drawing the last word out into two syllables.

"I do too," he replied, matching your sing-song tone. "You first, though."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Definitely."

"Well, Anna called me up earlier and told me that she threw out her boyfriend and all of his shit, so now she has a spare room that's mine if I want it."

Richie blinked. "Wow. That certainly is news."

"Yeah," you agreed, looking down.

"Well, I'm gonna miss having you around, doll."

"I'm gonna miss you too, Richie, but now you can have your life back without me getting in the way. With me gone, maybe you can move Julia in."

"That's not going to happen."

"Well, maybe not right away-"

"No. Not ever."

Realization came over you. "Oh.....Richie, I'm sorry....."

"Don't be. It was never going to work out in the end so there was no point in dragging it out."

"I'm still sorry to hear it. I liked her."

"Yeah."

"Come on, Richie, let's eat and forget all about her."

"All this just makes me remember that she can't cook worth a damn," Richie said with a dark laugh.

Not pursuing the subject any further, you pulled Richie toward the table, sat him down, poured some wine and began making the plates. Richie chuckled. "You really are something, dollface."

"You too, handsome."

You took your seat and the two of you tucked into the sumptuous feast you had prepared, Richie raving about it all throughout. You each enjoyed a second glass of wine after finishing before you got up to do the dishes, Richie joining you to help. After the dishes were done, you poured the remaining wine into each of your glasses. 

"How about you put on one of your records?" you asked.

"Of course," Richie said, leaving the room and coming back once music filled the house. He returned to the kitchen and held his hand out to you. "How about a dance for old time's sake?"

You blushed. "A dance?"

"Yes. Don't you know that the kitchen is the best place for dancing? I've gotta enjoy you while I still can."

You smiled and took his hand. You danced around the kitchen for a couple of songs, both of you laughing before moving things to the couch, finishing the wine. Richie laughed, quiet and dry. 

"What is it?" you inquired.

"You know what's so funny and ironic about all of this? About this whole situation?"

"What?"

"Me and Julia broke up because she had issues about you living with me."

"What?! You broke up because of me?"

"No. We broke up because of us. This whole living situation was just a means to an end."

"But, Richie, I'm moving! You've got to call her up and tell her that! Tell her she's wrong!"

"No, I'm not going to do that."

"But, Richie-"

"It's not going to change anything, dollface," he said, smiling at you sadly.

"But I'll be gone! You broke up for nothing! Fuck.....I'm- I'm so sorry, Rich..."

"I told you, (Y/N), don't be sorry. We didn't break up for nothing. Julia said..."

"Said what?"

"She said she felt like..."

"Felt like what? Come on, spit it out, Tozier."

Richie looked at the bottom of his empty glass. "She said she felt like she was getting in the way of my true love."

"What, do you mean like your career?"

Richie laughed. "No, dollface. You."

"Me?" you asked, your breath catching in your throat.

"Yeah. She said to me, 'Rich, when I see you look at her, all I think is God, I hope one day somebody looks at me like that. And then I remember that you're supposed to be that person.'"

"What? Is she insane? What would you want with me? Call her and tell her she's wrong!"

"I'm not going to do that."

"Why not?"

Richie gave you a crooked smile, something deep in his brown eyes that you couldn't quite read. When he spoke, it was in the softest tone you had ever heard from him. "Because I'm not gonna lie to her, dollface."

You swallowed the lump in your throat. "Richie, you...you love me?" you finished in a whisper.

"Yeah. I do." He laughed. "God help me, I do."

"Richie, I-"

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Sorry? What the hell are you sorry for? I love you, Richie. I always have."

He looked over at you. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. I love you so much. Remember the wedding?"

"How could I forget?"

"That was the best night of my goddamned life, Richie. Afterward, it broke my heart to know that it was just fake to you."

Richie looked almost offended. "Fake? You think that was fucking fake to me? (Y/N), after you kissed me, I had to go to the bathroom and jerk off like some teenage dipshit just to be able to act normal for the rest of the night. Remember Laura? That fight we had after that double date with Dickface was because she thought I wanted you. And she was right!"

An unbridled cackle broke from between your lips and didn't cease until you could finally catch your breath to speak. "That's...fuck....that's why me and Chad fought! That's why he left me at the restaurant! He was so fucking jealous of you!" You resumed laughing.

"What? No way!"

"Yes! I promise!" you insisted, shaking from laughter as you wiped your eyes.

Richie burst into laughter, clapping his hands because it was just too funny and he couldn't take it, causing your own laughter to grow more unhinged. 

At some point, the two of you finally managed to stop laughing and found yourselves looking at one another. Really looking, as if at one another for the very first time, overwhelmed by the realization that you were in love, really in love, and that it was finally out in the open, you finally had your chance with one another, and neither of you had any fucking idea what to do now. You were that withdrawn, nearly mute girl from (Y/H/T) and he was that four-eyed loudmouth from Derry, always outrunning the bullies. This was new, you were both nervous, but here you both were, ready and waiting.

The two of you fell into a sudden kiss, deep, passionate, and laced with years of things left unsaid. That broke the lovestruck stupor. You sure as hell remembered who you were now. You were two adults in love who had been for years.

Suddenly, you were all over each other, a flurry of wandering hands and lips crashing together and breathlessly pulling apart only to fall back together. You moved so that you were straddling Richie's lap, your hands in his dark curls, your lips never leaving his until he broke the kiss to begin trailing kisses up and down your neck. He clutched your ass as the kiss deepened and you grinded against him, feeling his cock pressing against you through his pants. 

You reached down to remove your dress, hurriedly tossing it to the ground. Richie reached behind you to unhook your bra and his face all but fell off at the sight of your breasts. You guided his hands to them and he held them, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of their weight in his hands as he rolled your nipples between his forefingers and thumbs before taking one into his mouth and gently sucking as you reached down to unzip his pants. 

You took him into your hand and stroked gently at first, loving the way he gasped and shivered beneath you. You slowly increased the speed and intensity. Richie's head fell back and moaned as you vigorously pumped the length of him. His bottom lip caught in between his teeth as he felt himself getting closer.

He stopped you suddenly and reached down to feel your wetness, circling your clit with the tip of his finger, a pleased smirk on his face as you cried out, unable to keep yourself from trembling from the fire building between your legs. He slid a finger inside you. You gasped, grinding against his hand, desperate to feel it deeper.

"Another," you pleaded and Richie obliged. His long, slender fingers felt incredible inside you. _Fuck, those fingers_ , you thought. _I always knew he would be good with them._

He pumped his fingers in and out of you with steadily increasing speed as you soaked them. Your hands nestled in his hair, holding his head as he leaned forward to resume sucking at your other breast. His tongue traced your nipple as his mouth sucked eagerly at your sensitive breast. He added a third finger and curled them against your G spot, rubbing your clit with his thumb as you came in spite of yourself.

You rose from Richie's lap and knelt on the floor in front of him. You took him into your hand once again and teased the head of his cock with the tip of your tongue before playfully leaving fluttering licks up the underside of it starting at the base. It felt amazing to Richie, but the anticipation was agonizing. 

Finally, you took him into your mouth, slowly and deeply. You sucked him hard, moaning with delight at the feeling of him in your mouth as you moved your head up and down, never once faltering in the relentless pressure of your mouth. Richie grew closer to orgasm when you stopped. 

"I need you inside me," you mewled, straddling him once more as he took his cock into his hand and guided it toward your entrance. You slid down onto him, feeling the length of him deep inside you as his cock stretched your wet cunt, filling it completely. Richie's hands gripped at your hips, surely leaving marks as you rode him hard and fast until you both came, crying out at the sensation as his cock twitched and shot a hot load inside you.

You caught your breath and looked at one another, smiling. You leaned forward to kiss him. He gently cupped the side of your face with his hand as he deepened the kiss. You felt him growing hard again, still inside you. 

You eventually made your way to his bedroom after a brief interlude against the wall. In bed, you fucked each other like two former nerds who had no idea how desirable they had become. Walls down, over and over, in numerous positions, more real and more raw than it had ever been for either of you. 

Eventually, you decided to take a break and simply bask in one another. You were on your side, facing Richie, who looked at you with an expression on his face you had never seen before, never imagined him capable of, but of which you were beyond thankful to be on the receiving end. His eyes glistened with emotion, the corner of his lips gently pulled into a weepy smile of pure adoration. That's what it was, you realized. You knew that feeling quite well.

"I love you, (Y/N)," he whispered.

"I love you, Richie. You have no idea."

He smiled again. "I think I might, actually."

"Oh, yeah?"

His voice was soft. "Yeah, dollface."

"Show me, then."

He moved to rest on his elbows above you, leaning down to place a quick kiss onto your lips before moving down your neck, your breasts, your stomach, then down to your inner thighs, nipping and sucking at you all the while as if you were the sweetest piece of candy he had ever seen. Finally, he reached the place between your legs where you really needed him. 

He sent you over the edge, those full lips causing sensations in you the likes of which nobody had ever come close, gently sucking at your clit and rolling it between them, sucking at the plump lips of your sex as well. He used his whole mouth, lips and tongue. _God, please let this last forever_ , you thought, _because no way in hell will I ever be able to be satisfied with anyone else after this_.

You came, trembling at his lips, the secretion of your arousal all over them. He came back up, smirking. "Still doubt me, doll?"

"Not in the slightest," you replied, still trying to catch your breath.

"Yeah, well that was nothing. I've wanted this for five years, so if you think you're getting away from me that easy, guess again, sugar tits."

You laughed. "Getting away? Oh no, Richie. You're stuck with me now."

"Thank God," he replied, pulling you into his embrace and kissing the top of your head. 

You snuggled in, resting your head on his chest, taking his other hand and gently kissing every knuckle before holding it. "We have all the time in the world now, Richie. All of the time in the world," you whispered, your eyes closing in contentment. 

You and Richie's tender moment was interrupted by a ringing telephone.

"Don't get it," you said.

"I'm not," Richie replied.

You laughed softly. "I can't believe you still have a land line, Richie." You burst into a fit of giggles.

"What's wrong with a land line?"

"Nothing, it's just superfluous in this day and age, especially since you have a cell."

"Yeah, for personal and business use. Everyone else can try the land line."

"How grandfatherly of you."

"Grandfatherly?" Richie sat up in feigned offense. "Dollface, do you want me to remind you how hard I've had you cumming the whole goddamn night long?"

You bit your lip, your pussy tingling with sudden anticipation. "Yes, please..." You parted your legs just a bit, teasing Richie with just a glimpse.

Richie's cock was risen and rock hard as he pulled you by your thighs to him, ready to begin mercilessly drilling into you, not stopping until the sheets were soaked. The phone rang again.

"Goddamn it," you groaned. "Who the fuck keeps calling you at this hour?"

"I don't know."

"Well, tell them to fuck off," you spat in frustration. 

The phone stopped, only to begin ringing yet again. Richie sighed. "All right." He gave you a quick, heated kiss before reaching down to tease you with a finger. "Keep it nice and ready for me," he said, getting up to go deal with the persisent caller.

"Hello?" you heard him ask in annoyance. "What? Jesus! How the hell are you?!" Silence followed. When Richie finally spoke again, his tone was somber. "What?" he choked. "No.......no, I remember.....yeah. Yeah. I will. Thanks. See you soon." 

Richie reappeared in the doorway, looking as though he had seen a ghost. "(Y/N)," he choked out. "Babe, I've got to..."

"Got to what, Richie?"

Before he could say anything else, he rushed to the bathroom and you heard him vomiting. You leapt from the bed and flew to the bathroom. "Richie! What's wrong?"

"It's...it's nothing, doll, just get back in the bed, I'll be there in a minute."

"Are you okay?"

He splashed water from the sink onto his face. "Yeah, doll, I'm okay. Don't worry about me."

"Who was that on the phone?"

"Just an old friend."

"Richie, what's going on?"

"Nothing worth worrying about. Go on back to bed, I'll be right there."

"Promise you're fine?"

Richie gave you a little smile. "I'm fine." He kissed your forehead, both cheeks, then your lips. "I love you, dollface."

"I love you too, Richie...hurry on back to me, okay?"

"Of course, sweetheart."

You made your way back to the bed, puzzled. As you waited for Richie, you couldn't help but worry in spite of what he had said. You gnawed on your bottom lip, a pit of anxiety forming deep in your stomach. Richie soon appeared in the doorway and walked toward you.

"Richie-" you began, but he cut you off with his lips on yours, pulling you into the deepest kiss of your life. He moved down so that his head was between your legs and began to please you with his mouth once again, more intense this time, tasting you with great urgency, savoring you. He came back up, kissed you again, and entered you, riding you slow and hard before increasing speed, pounding into you with a sort of desperation in his thrusts.

"I love you...I love you...God, I fucking love you," he whispered, tremulously. "My girl....."

"Yeah, I'm your girl...I've always been your girl....I love you, Richie," you gasped, cumming around his cock.

He came in you with a moan and one final thrust. He collapsed onto you, his head on your chest. You held him, stroking his dark curls, kissing the top of his head. 

"You know I love you, right?" he asked.

"Yes..."

"Promise me you'll remember that."

"Of course I will, Richie. Why are you being like this? Something is wrong. I don't believe that you're just fine. Tell me what's going on."

He sat up and sighed heavily. "I have to go," he croaked.

"Go? Where?"

"Home. To Derry."

"Derry? Why? Is somebody dead or something?"

"Yeah."

"Who?"

"God only knows."

"Richie, what the fuck are you talking about? You're being vague. Is this you realizing you made a mistake with me and now you're looking for an out? Because if so, I've been through this before, so there's no need to bullshit me-"

"God no, (Y/N). The only mistake I've made with you is waiting too goddamn long." He laughed the darkest, driest of laughs. "Time really is a bitch."

"Listen, I'm not going anywhere. Now, do you want to tell me what the fuck is going on?"

"I have to go help out some old friends. The death and stuff, it's really messing them up bad."

"How bad?"

"Bad," Richie said, more serious than you had ever heard them.

"You're coming back, aren't you?"

"I hope."

"What do you mean you hope?" you demanded.

"Nothing in life is guaranteed, we could all die at any second."

"Fair enough. How long will you be gone?"

"I don't know."

"A week?"

"However long it takes."

"What? Richie, you have a life here! You have a job! And a house...and a me..."

"The house will be fine and so will you. Stay here as long as you want. Stay forever. If something happens, I bequeath it to you, I'll get it in writing."

"Stop talking like that. you're coming back. What about work?"

"I imagine this will be an inconvenience, but shit happens. Life happens."

"Well, they can't exactly replace you," you admitted.

"Exactly. This sucks but life will go on. Everything will be fine."

"You know, you're really something, Rich Tozier. I've never met anyone who actually takes old childhood friendships from the other side of the country seriously. I don't care if I never see anyone from my childhood again. Hell, I actually hope I never do."

"This is different. Trust me."

"You're not making a damn bit of sense...but I trust you. God help me, I trust you." You sighed. "I'll help you pack." Your voice faltered on the word "pack."

"What an angel," Richie said in appreciation before noticing the tears on your cheeks you wished had just stayed in your eyes. "What? No," he cooed. "No, dollface. None of that. Everything's okay. I'll call you every day. I'll text. I'll FaceTime. I'm not shutting you out. There's nothing I want more than to stay here with you, but we've got to handle this shit. I love you and once I get back, I'll...God, I can't even think of everything I want to do. I'll do it all with you, baby. I will. Just help me pack while I make some arrangements."

You somehow managed to pack for Richie as you heard him on the phone ordering a plane ticket, arranging for a rental car, and calling to book a hotel room. He came back into the room and began getting dressed. "I'm going to be at the Derry Public House. Room 217."

"Thanks for letting me know." You looked over toward the suitcases on the bed. "Since you have no idea how long you'll be gone, I put a little bit of everything."

"How did I ever live without you?"

"Beats the hell out of me, Tozier."

You walked with him to the door, realizing that you were still completely nude. "Oh, God....Richie, I'm naked!"

He grinned. "I know. I love it."

"I can't help you out to the car like this!"

"Don't worry about helping me. I did this by myself for years. Just step back and let me get one last look."

You rolled your eyes while smiling, giving a little twirl, making eyes at Richie all the while. 

"Jesus Christ. Yeah, I'm definitely coming back for more of that. No worries there, hot stuff."

"We haven't even started yet."

"That's right, doll. Come here. Let me get a kiss."

You went to him. He reached out, holding your face in his hands before giving you a kiss right out of a movie before pulling back and looking at you as if he would never see you again. But he would, wouldn't he?

Your eyes began to mist and you couldn't see that well, but you could have sworn that his were, too. "See you soon, dollface. Go back to bed and have sweet dreams."

"I'll think of nothing but you. Please be safe."

"I'll do my best." He kissed you one more time. "I love you so much."

"I love you just as much," you replied.

He breathed out, kissed you one last time, and walked to the car. You watched until he was gone, smiling sadly the entire time. When his car was out of sight, you closed the door and broke.

To say you were overwhelmed would be the understatement of the century. In less than twenty-four hours, you had went from moving out to living madly in love with the man of your dreams to helping him pack and seeing him off to spend God only knew how much time doing God only knew what on the polar opposite side of the country in the name of maintaining loyalty to a bunch of virtual strangers he hadn't seen in nearly three decades. 

_I guess what they say is true_ , you thought. _When it rains, it pours_.

You climbed back into bed and cried yourself to sleep on a pillow that smelled like Richie.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think!


End file.
